Education device



Sept. 14, 1943.

P. A. BROWN EDUCATION DEVICE Filed April 29, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 NVENT OR. 40 L Philip A. Brown ZfZQEg Sept. 14, 1943.

P. A. BROWN 2,329,453

EDUCATION DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1941 INVENTOR. Philip AL Brown Sept. 14, 1943. P. A. BROWN EDUCATION DEVICE 'Filed April 29, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. .P/u lI/p .[l Blown 1752a) [21.2% +47QI-MJ AT ORNEYS Patented Sept. 14', 1943 EDUCATION DEVICE Philip A. Brown, Tarrytown, N. Y., asslgnor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 29, 1941, Serial No. 390,859

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a changeable model for demonstrating the use and operation of a household refrigerator.

It is an object of this invention to provide a miniature replica of a household refrigerator comprising a novel combination that is operable to demonstrate the use and operation of a household refrigerator.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of the invention is shown:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a demonstrator with certain portions broken away to show the internal structure;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a, sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a rear elevation View;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view;

Figure 7 is a view, mostly in vertical section, of the outer shell.

Figure 8 is a sectional viewof the inner shell construction which telescopes into the outer shell construction of Figure '7; and,

Figure 9 is a horizontal section showing certain elements positioned for use.

Referring to Figure l of the drawings, a cabinet is provided which is mainly of plastic material and is a miniature representation of a domestic refrigerator. The main body of the cabinet is an outer shell 2 with two leg portions 4 at the bottom extending along the two sides. The main portion of the front wall of the cabinet is formed by a removable door panel 6 having a simulated handle 8. Door panel 6 is held in place in the manner shown best in Figure 2, with the bottom resting upon a ledge and with two dowel pins ill, which are rigidly mounted in the door and which extend into slots in the ledge (see also Figure 4). The top of the door panel is held in place by a screw i2 (Figure 2) which is rigidly mounted in the door panel and the head of which is snugly received in a hole l4.. The fit between the head of screw i2 and hole I4 is such that when the dowel pins l0 are placed in the slots and the top of the door panel is pushed against the cabinet, the head of the screw slips tightly into place. The door panel may be removed by reversing the operations with the top of the door first being pulled outwardly and with the door panel then being raised.

Telescoping into the rear of the outer shell 2 is an inner shell l6,best shown in Figure 8. In-

ner shell I6 is a frame having side walls and top and bottom walls, and these walls, as well as the outer shell 8 and the door panel 6, are of plastic Carried by the front side of the inner material. shell I6 isa Celluloid panel l8 which is held in place at the top by two brads 20 driven into inner shell I6. Referring to Figure 1, panel It! has on its face a diagram showing the paths of the fluids passing through the refrigerating cycle of a refrigeration apparatus. This panel has a vertical slot or window 22 therein, and this window outlines the portion of the diagram representing the upward leg of a fluid circuit. Th purpose of this window will be pointed out below. Referring to Figure 8, upon the rear of shell I6 is mounted a guide plate 24 which is held in place at the top by a pair of tabs 26 extending into the back of the frame, and to the right of plate 24 is a plate 28 which is carried by four integral ears 3!] extending, inthe manner shown in Figure 3, vertically along the sides of the inner shell. Plates 24 and 28 provide a rack 21 for card slides to be used in the manner pointed out below, and the slides are supported in the rack by a pair of flange portions 3| extending inwardly at each bottom corner of the rack. As best shown in Figure 2, this rack 21 is open at the top so that slides can be inserted and removed.

At the front side, inner shell I 6 is provided with a pair of flanges 32 which extend substantially the full length of the two sides of the inner shell. In assembling, the inner shell is positioned as shown in Figure 8 and is slid to the left into the back of the outer shell 2 (shown in Figure '7) and flanges 32 move inwardly over a ledge 3 while ears 30 are received in suitable niches 36. Directly above ledge 34 is an open slot 38, and when the inner shell is completely telescoped into the outer shell, as shown in Figure 2, a slide rack 39 is thereby formed directly below slot 38. Card slides may be inserted or removed through this slot, and when positioned as shown in Figure 2, they cover panel it. A set of card slides 40 is provided, and each slide has a tab at its top so that the slides may be individually removed. These cards are not individually reproduced here, but they picture various appearances of the interior of the refrigerator with various food storage arrangements.

As shown best in Figures 4 and 5, plates 24 and 28 are provided with vertically elongate windows 43 and 45 which are in alignment with window 22 in panel I8. Directly behind window 22 is a vapor-bubbling-tube 42 which contains a volatile liquid such as alcohol, and which has at the bottom a restriction 44 (Figure 5) through which it is connected to its bulb 46. When heat is applied to bulb 46, the liquid is first driven up into the tube 42 beyond restriction 44, and then the vapor bubbles upwardly through the column of liquid. As each bubble passes restriction 44, a small quantity of liquid tends to splash back into the bulb. This liquid is vaporized by additional heat, and the process continues. Bubbles of vapor passing upwardly through the tube become cooled, and at the top of the tube the vapor is again condensed. When the slides are removed from the two racks and the door panel is removed, an observer may view the diagram on panel i8 (see Figure l), and as bubbles move upwardly in the tube, it appears that gas is moving upwardly along the diagram.

Referring again to Figure 4, tube 42 is supported by a slightly compressed flexible rubber ring 48 which snugly grasps the tube and which is received between the bottom wall of the inner shell is and a bracket 58 extending rearwardly from the front wall of the outer shell. Bracket 50 is notched to receive tube 42, and the tube extends through a hole 52 in the bottom wall of the inner shell IS with the upper end of the tube extending into a similar hole 54 in the upper'wall of the inner frame. In this way tube 42 is securely held in place, but the tube may be rotated between the position of Figures 1 to 6, where bulb 46 is protected, and the position of Figure 9, wherein bulb 46 extends outwardly; When in this outward position, heat may readily be applied to the bulb so that bubbles pass upwardly through the liquid.

Referring to Figure 5, at the right of bulb 46 is a sheet-metal match holder and bracket structure which holds a package of self-lighting matches. This structure includes a rectangular base plate 56 which (see Figure 2) is rigidly held to the outer shell 2 by a pair of screws 58, and extending outwardly from the two ends of plate 56 are two parallel, rectangular plates 68 and 62 (Figure 5). The top and bottom of plate 56 are bent outwardly to form at the top a flange 64 and at the bottom a pair of flange members 66, and the upper sides of the triangular plates 68 and 62 are bent toward each other to form flanges 68 and 18, respectively. At the lower end of flange 68 is a tab 12 (Figure 2) which extends downwardly along the edge of triangular plate 68, and flange 18 (Figure 5) is provided with a similar tab 74 extending downwardly along the edge of triangular plate 62. Base plate 56 and triangular plates 60 and 62, with their respective flanges, cooperate to provide a rigid mounting for a package of self-lighting matches, indicated at '16.

The package of matches 16 is of the type where the package is held secure and a match 18 is automatically lighted as it is withdrawn from the package. Match package 16 is provided with a paper cover which has a portion 88 bent downwardly and positioned inside of flanges 66. Thus when a package 16 is to be positioned for use, its tip end is pushed up from the bottom between triangular plates 68 and 62 until the tip end of the package is positioned as shown in Figure 2. The match ends 18 are then moved upwardly so that the package moves under tabs 12 and 14. The cover portion 80 is then positioned as shown, and the package is securely held in place. Referring to Figure 5, the central portion of the lower edge of plate 56 is cut away, as indicated in broken lines at 82. In this way a depleted match package may be readily removed by grasping the lower edge of cover portion 88 and pulling downwardly.

Spot welded to the outer surface of triangular plate 62 is a channel bracket 84 which has its two parallel sides positioned horizontally to form a rigid bracket support for a heat-responsive disc-unit 86 and a gas burner orifice spud unit 88. As shown best in Figure 6, unit 86 consists of a bi-metallic, thermo-responsive disc 88, held by a circular frame 82 which is pivctally carried by a bolt 94 (Figure 5). Bolt 84 extends through bracket 84 and receives at its lower end a pair of nuts 96 which are locked together. Disc 98 is slightly dished, and when it is heated, it buckles and snaps so that it is dished the opposite way; when cooled again, it returns to its original position. The use of this bi-metallic disc in gas refrigerators is to cut off completely the gas supply if at any time the flame should be extinguished. The spud unit 88 consists of a gas burner orifice spud 98 rigidly carried by a frame Hill which is pivoted on the lower end of bolt 84 and is held in place by nuts 86. Orifice spud 98 is an element which forms the inlet to the mixing chamber of a gas burner on a refrigerator. Units 86 and 88 and bulb 46 may be swung inwardly to the position shown in Figures 4 to 6, and they may be individually swung outwardly so that they are positioned as shown in Figure 9, or unit 88 may be positioned beneath unit 86. Normally, the bulb and the units are in the position of Figures 4 to 6 where they are protected and out a of the way during the time that the device is not being used. a

As indicated above, a set of card slides 48 (Figures 1 and 2) is provided which is shown positioned in the front rack 39, and a slide plate 4! is provided which. is positioned in the rear chart rack '21 adjacent to plate 28. Referring to sentation on plate 28. However, slide plate 4| is Figure 5, plate 28 has on its rear surface a representation of the rear of a domestic absorbtion refrigerator, and numerals are superimposed on the representation to identify the various portions of the system. At the lower right-hand side, the numeral l refers to the generator or boiler assembly where the ammonia liquid is heated to vaporize ammonia (which is the refrigerant) from the solution. The anmionia gas passes upwardly through a pipe 2 to a condenser 3. The ammonia is condensed in the condenser 3 and passes to an evaporator in the interior of the box. The evaporator contains an atmosphere of hydrogen gas, and due to the law of partial pressures, the ammonia liquid evaporates and passes downwardly with hydrogen gas through the heat-exchanger assembly 5 to the absorber 6. The water from the generator assembly I is cooled and is delivered to the absorber, and this cooled water absorbs the gas ammonia'from the mixture of hydrogen and ammonia gases, leaving hydrogen gas which is returned to the evaporator through the heat-exchange assembly. After absorbing suflicient ammonia, the water is in the form of a strong ammonia solution, and this flows to the generator.

As indicated above, plate 28 is provided with.

a window 45 which permits light to enter from the rear of the unit to the vapor-bubbling-tube This window makes a break in the repreprovided with a photographic representation which is similar in every detail to that on plate sirable to observe the operation of the liquid and vapor in tube 42.

Referring again to Figure 1, the diagram on panel l8 represents paths of fluid circulation in the refrigeration unit. Accordingly, at the lower I right-hand corner of the chart a flame is shown playing on a generator containing ammonia water, and the heat causes vaporization of the ammonia with the result that the ammonia passes upwardy through the tube represented by the slot or window 22. The rising vapor traps water and lifts it to the liquid vessel which is positioned to the left and below the point where the slot or window 22 bends to the left. The water is discharged into this vessel, and the vapor passes upwardly to the condenser which is represented by a finned tube with the fins represented by parallel lines. The vapor is here condensed and in liquid form passes through a liquid trap to the evaporator which extends into the refrigerator cabinet. Hydrogen gas enters the evaporator with the ammonia liquid, and as the liquid flows to the left and downwardly through the evaporator, it is evaporated with the result that hydrogen and ammonia gas flow downwardly from the evaporator to the absorber.

The absorber is represented by a finned tube assembly with the fins represented by parallel lines to show that heat is dissipated from the absorber in the same manner as heat is dissipated from the condenser. The water from the liquid vessel above the generator passes through a liquid trap to the top of the absorber and flows downwardly through the absorber to a liquid sump. During this fiow the liquid is met by a counter-current of hydrogen and ammonia gas, and due to the fact that the water is cool, it

upwardly along the chart.

absorbs the ammonia gas so that a strong solution of ammonia collects in the sump. This strong solution of ammonia returns by gravity to the generator, and the hydrogen gas passes upwardly to the evaporator in the manner pointed out above, In this diagrammatic representation the heat-exchange units and a number of the other elements of the commercial unit have been omitted, as the purpose of. this representation is to explain the fundamental operating principles of the unit.

With slides 40 in place in the front rack, the door 8 is removed revealing a first pictured storage compartment arrangement. By means of tabs at the top ofthese slides, they may be removed one by one, revealing other pictured refrigerator loading arrangements. As the slides 40 are removed, they may be placed in the rear rack 27. When the last slide is removed, the refrigerating system diagram on panel i8 is exposed.

In explaining the operation of the system represented by the. chart on panel l8, bulb 46 and disc 90 are swung to the position shown in Figure, 9, and slides 40 and 4| are removed from-the racks. Upon withdrawal of a match 18, the

' match automatically ignites, and the match is held beneath disc 90. The disc is heated until it buckles and clicks, thereby indicating that it is at a temperature corresponding to the temperature at which it is maintained during the operation of the refrigerator. This is significant because of the fact that it demonstrates the operation of this safety device, and at the same time indicates the proper time interval to hold the match in that position in order to start the bubbling action in the tube 42. During the heating of the bi-metallic disc, heat is radiated to bulb 46, and bubbles start to move upwardly through the liquid in the tube.

After the buckling oi the disc, the match is extinguished, and the observer's attention is directed to the diagram on panel l8. Light passes in through windows 43 and 45 in plates 24 and 28, and the observer can see the passage of gas While this observation is in progress, bi-metallic disc cools off sufficiently to snap to its cool position. This demonstrates that, if the flame i extinguished on a refrigerator which is equipped with one of these bi-metallic disc safety devices, the bi-metallic disc snaps to cut off the gas supply.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinabove set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A refrigerator demonstrator comprising a replica of a household refrigerator cabinet having a door, an inner wall of said cabinet facing said door bearing a representation of a refrigerating system, and at least a portion of said wall being translucent so that light may pass therethrough from the rear to illuminate a corresponding portion of said representation.

2. A demonstrator as in claim 1 which also includes means between said wall and said door for displaying one by one, when said door is open, a plurality of pictures of different refrigerator storage compartment arrangements, said means being removable to reveal said representation on said wall.

3. A refrigerator demonstrator comprising a replica of a refrigerator storage compartment having a door, an interior wall of said compartment facing said door bearing a representation of a refrigerating system, and means to the rear of said wall for producing motion simulating flow of fluid in a refrigerating system, at least a part of said wall being translucent so that one looking through said door may see said motion through a corresponding part of said refrigerating system representation.

4. A demonstrator as in claim 3 in which said means for producing motion is a transparent tube containing liquid through which bubbles are caused to pass by application of heat'to the tube.

5. A demonstrator as in claim 3 in which said compartment has a slot, and a plurality of plates insertable through said slot into position between said door and said Wall so as to conceal the representation on said wall, and each plate bearing a picture of a different refrigerator storage compartment arrangement.

6. In a device of the character described for demonstrating the operation of a domestic refrigerator, the combination of an outer shell comprising sides and top and a removable door forming the main part of the front wall, an inner shell adapted to be telescopically received through the rear of said outer shell and having side walls which are connected by top and bottom walls, front and rear panel members carried by said inner shell and bearing representations .part corresponding to a pipe rough which refrigerant gas passes toward a condenser, a vaporbubbling-tube positioned along said part so that when bubble move through liquid in said tube,

in appears that refrigerant gas is moving toward the condenser, and a flexible gasket surrounding said tube and clamped between a portion of the bottom of said inner shell and a portion of said outer shell so that said tube is held in said posilOn.

t 7. In a device of the character described for explaining the use and operation of a refrigerator, the combination of a shell having generally the external appearance of a household refrigerator and having a door panel on the front thereof which covers a door opening, a. rack positioned directly behind said door opening so that pictures may be positioned within the rack where they will be exposed to view through said door opening, a rack at the rear of saidshell and having a panel forming a rear wall at the back of said shell, the panels forming said racks having windows therethrough so that light may enter the shell from the rear and may pass through the front rack, said rear panel having on its rear surface a representation of the rear of a domestic refrigerator, and a removable plate positioned in said rear rack and bearing a representation similar to that on said rear panel and having appropriate portions which are exposed and fill the window portions of said rear panel, whereby said plate may be removed to permit light to enter said assembly through said rear rack and may be replaced to complete the representation of the rear of the refrigerator.

8. In a device of the character described for explaining the use and operation of a household refrigerator, the combination of a shell having generally the external appearance of a household refrigerator and having a door panel on the front thereof which covers a door opening, a rack positioned directly behind said door opening so that picture slides may be positioned within the rack where they will be exposed to view through said door opening, said front rack having a back panel which bears a diagrammatic representation of the refrigerant circuit in a refrigerator, a rack at the rear of said shell and having a panel forming a wall at the rear of said shell, a vaporbubbling-tube between said racks, the panels forming said racks having windows therethrough so that light may enter the shell from the rear and may pass through to said vapor-bubblingtube so that said vapor-bubbling-tube forms part of the diagrammatic representation on the back panel of the front rack, said rear panel having on its rear surface a representation of the rear of a domestic refrigerator, and a removable slide positioned in said rear rack and bearing a representation similar to that on said rear panel and having appropriate portions which are exposed and fill the window portions of said rear panel, whereby said slide may be removed to permit light to enter said assembly through said rear rack and may be replaced to complete the representation of the rear of the refrigerator.

9. In a dvice of the character described for explaining the operation of a refrigerator, the combination of, a frame, a diagram representing the refrigerant circuit in the refrigerator, a transparent vapor-bubbling-tube carried by said frame and so positioned with respect to said diaS that during operation bubbles pass through said tube and in so doing appear to move along said diagram in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the refrigerant, and a heat radiating element positioned beneath the end of said vapor-bubbling-tube so that when aflame is positioned below said element, said tube is heated without impingement of the flame.v

10. A device of the character described in claim 9 wherein there is mounted adjacent said heat radiating element an orifice spud of the character used in the refrigerator represented so that by holding a flame beneath the orifice spud the size of the orifice spud may be demonstrated.

11. In a device of the character described for explaining the operation of a refrigerator, the combination of, a frame, a diagram representing the refrigerant circuit in the refrigerator, a transparent vapor-bubbling-tube carried by said frame and so positioned with respect to said diagram that during operation bubbles pass through said tube and in so doing appear to move along said diagram in a direction corresponding to the direction of movement of the refrigerant, and a bi-metallic element positioned beneath said vapor-bubbling-tube so that when a flame is positioned below said bi-metallic element, said tube is heated by transfer through said element without impingement of the flame on the tube and whereby the bi-metallic element may be used to indicate a maximum safe temperature.

12. In a device for demonstrating the operation of a refrigeration unit, the combination of a miniature replica of a refrigerator unit, a bracket means mounted within said replica and including a pair of triangular end platesrigidly mounted in spaced parallel relationship with the distance therebetween equal to the width of a package .of self-lighting matches, said end plates including flange means along one side of each end plate which flange means are adapted to cooperate in receiving and securely grasping a package of self-lighting matches, flange means associated with said end plates to cooperate with said end plates in holding a package of self-lighting matches in place, and a thermo-responsive bimetallic disc pivotally mounted in a frame means upon said bracket structure so that when a package of self-lighting matches is held by said end plates 2. match may be withdrawn therefrom and its flame applied to said disc.

PHILIP A. BROWN. 

